Three Rivers
11A, 2021
8/10
An album that was birthed during a song-a-day project, Ryan Dugré brings his incredible guitar skills to an instrumental effort, where strings, pedal steel, synth and even flugabone, among others, add much depth and diversity to this very compelling listen.
“Living Language” starts the album with hypnotic guitar and warm keys interacting in a soothing, inviting manner, and this continues to the dreamy, acoustic guitar friendly “Old Hotel”, as well as the intricate and flowing melodies of “Powder Rains”.
The middle tracks offer us the emotive and moody “Stalking Horse”, while “Shining” recruits commanding keys amid plenty of atmosphere that’s classically influenced. “Other Minds”, the album highlight, then turns minimalism into a refined science as Dugré’s meticulous guitar prowess amazes.
Close to the end, “In The Silence” takes on a cinematic quality with stirring swells of grace, and “Glace Bay” exits the listen with much glowing beauty alongside a striking vulnerability that complements the entire album superbly.
A record that embraces neo-classical, Americana, and minimalism, Dugré knows his way around intimate and spatially aware song craft, where each track unfolds with its own unique allure on this very well executed adventure.
Travels well with: Damien Jurado- In The Shape Of A Storm; Skylar Gudasz- Cinema